


Disguises and Delicacies

by katillac25



Category: Once Upon a Time (TV)
Genre: AU, Chef Belle, F/M, Food Critic Rumple, Secret Identity
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-31
Updated: 2019-10-31
Packaged: 2021-01-15 08:49:19
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21250676
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/katillac25/pseuds/katillac25
Summary: Belle is an aspiring chef and has always looked up to the famous Mr. Gold as her inspiration. She finally gets her golden opportunity to show off her skill.





	Disguises and Delicacies

**Author's Note:**

  * For [magnoliatattoo (theladyinthecape)](https://archiveofourown.org/users/theladyinthecape/gifts).

> This was a gift I meant to give almost two years ago, and I feel like such a shit for never giving it. But the idea given to me never left me. This will be multi chapter.

It was finally time. This was the day that Belle French would finally come face-to-face with the one man that stood in front of her dream. She had spent decades building her experience, finesse, and creativity for this day. She had every bit of confidence that today would be an absolute success.

Belle rushed down the stairs, her briefcase in hand and a bag with her prepared ingredients from the previous night. She had made sure to pack all her most essential cooking utensils and recipes. She quickly grabbed her favorite apron, which was almost completely white but sported a large embroidered rose in the middle. She was nearly out the door, when she heard a sudden whistle.

“Chip! Thank you for reminding me. How can I do this without you?” she answered excitedly, hurrying over to the aviary across the room.

Chip had been a blessing in disguise for her. She originally bought him only because her culinary icon had an Indian Ringneck, and she was determined to have one as well. She had grown up with far easier pets, such as cats and dogs. She found out quite quickly that birds required far more than the average pet. At first, he was an enormous burden. The screaming and biting alone made her regret the decision daily. It took a good few years for her to gain his trust enough just to pet him. It seemed that all at once, they were inseparable and thick as thieves.

As she opened the door to the aviary, Chip fluttered quite clumsily onto her shoulder.

“This is it, my friend. Time to put our skills to the ultimate test.”

Belle was quite taken aback, when she entered the hotel. This establishment was the birthplace of the first D'or Manoire restaurant. It was here that the famous “Mr. Gold,” the very man she studied and idolized, opened his first restaurant. Nowadays, there were easily hundreds of the same restaurant, but this was the very first.

She took a deep breath, her briefcase clenched tightly in her hand and Chip perched on her shoulder. She straightened her posture and proudly strode to the entrance of the restaurant, giving the man at the door a confident gaze.

“I'm here to meet with Mr. Gold,” she said straightforwardly, handing him a letter from her pocket. “Please let him know that Ms. French is ready to impress him.”

The man gave her a nod, ushering her inside.

Belle's eyes widened, as she was finally gazing upon the famous D'or Manoire for the first time. It was well named, as the main element of the establishment involved gold. The floor was a swirl of dark green marble, gleaming brightly from the reflection of the gold. As she continued to follow the man, her eyes soon spotted what looked like a small cooking area. The man extended his arm, steering her towards it.

“Mr. Gold will be just a moment. You may use our resources and any ingredients you may need, in order to make your dish. Please be quick. His patience is rather limited,” the man explained, walking away from her.

“Thank you, sir,” she said with a nod.

“And if I may ask, miss, what is your feathery friend's name?” he asked with a smile.

“Oh, his name is Chip,” she answered, smiling widely.

“Lovely. Thank you, miss.”

Belle shook her head, laughing softly. She turned her head towards Chip, resting her forehead against his beak.

“This is it,” she exhaled, giving him a quick kiss. “Let's get to work.”

She hurried into the kitchen pantry, squealing rather loudly as her eyes feasted on the banquet set out before her. She'd never seen so many different foods and ingredients in one room. She took a moment to take it all in, before getting down to the business of preparing.

Belle grabbed a basket by the pantry door, scanning the aisles for what she needed for her dish. She started by throwing some select spices into the basket: kosher salt, thyme, anise seeds, and freshly ground black pepper. She was thankful that she had the good sense to bring what she had already prepared for this dish. She would have to go big to impress Mr. Gold.

As she collected the last of her ingredients and made her way back into the main room, her breath suddenly hitched as Mr. Gold was sitting at a small table in front of the cooking area. She took in a deep breath and made her way to the counter, unloading her ingredients.

It was almost like reliving a part of her childhood. He was as she’d always known him, wild curls hanging about his face and the all-too-nineties hologram reptile glasses. Perhaps it was overly ostentatious of him, but that was all part of the show.

“Are the theatrics supposed to scare me, Mr. Gold?" she asked confidently, narrowing her eyes at him. "I'm afraid you've mistaken me for someone lacking a spine."

"Is that so?" he chuckled lightly, leaning back in the seat. "The theatrics, Ms. French, are to mask who I truly am. And seeing as you seem to show no fear nor trepidation, you should have no issue impressing me."

Belle wished more than anything to smack that smug grin off of his face. She had spent almost her entire life so that she would be prepared for this moment, the moment that her dream would finally become a reality.

“Tell me a bit about yourself, Ms. French,” he said, as she began working at her station. “And do make it interesting. I’m unlikely to favor chefs that lead a boring tale.”

“To put it simply, I’ve followed your example since I was a child. My mother owned her own restaurant and aided me in every culinary escapade I began, up until the day she died. After her passing, I worked even harder towards my goal of becoming a world-renowned chef,” she explained, ignoring his snide remark. “And now I finally have my chance.”

“And what of your feathered friend there? It shows that you have an eye for detail when your pet is the same breed as mine was.”

“As I’ve been an avid follower of yours, I also wanted to try my hand at owning a bird. I was warned not to take on such an exotic species as my first bird, but I prefer to learn from my own experiences and mistakes. Chip has been my closest companion for the past five years, though the first year was the roughest. These birds have a particularly nasty bite to them,” she answered, now moving on to searing her vegetables.

“Indeed, they do. You are the first chef to have one, and I am moderately impressed,” he said stoically, his gaze upon her unwavering. “And what are you preparing for me today? One of my own recipes?”

“Not at all. This happens to be my own original dish,” she said confidently. “I would think that the majority of chefs who cook for you serve you your own recipes, and I would personally find it quite boring. I would want to try something new and fresh.”

Belle added her meat of choice into the pan, adding a bit of red wine to it as well. As she cleared the scraps and leftover vegetables off of her station, she handed a piece of carrot to Chip, who eagerly snatched it from her hand.

Mr. Gold merely nodded, watching her form carefully. He gave a small sideways grin, as the bird greedily took the carrot from her hand. He had to admit, she was fearless and steadfast. She was well-prepared and more than knowledgeable. She had the perfect eye for detail, not that he would ever let her know.

For the next twenty minutes, he waited and observed patiently. Belle worked tediously, making sure that every detail of her dish was flawless. She took in a deep breath, as she was finally at the last crucial step of the process: plating. She carefully placed the meat in the middle of the plate, arranging the vegetables beautifully around it. Gently, she dripped the sauce onto the meat and then sighed with relief. It was finally ready.

Belle slowly made her way over to the table, carefully setting the plate in front of him.

“Do enjoy, Mr. Gold,” she said simply.

She quickly made her way back to the station and began cleaning the area and dishes, doing her best to ignore him and focus on returning the station to its previous state. She preferred to keep herself busy, as he judged her dish.

As she wiped down the counter of the station, it suddenly hit her. She had done it. She finally had her chance to cook for Mr. Gold. She was awestruck. This was years in the making and done in the blink of an eye. She stared hard at the counter, taken aback.

“I must say, Ms. French, you weren’t entirely a disappointment,” he said, breaking her focus. “As with any chef, you’ll receive my review within a week. Take care now.”

He was suddenly gone, just like that.

Belle felt her stomach drop, her nerves now in a frenzy. Had she succeeded or failed?


End file.
